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The
technology planning process
will help your enterprise to
- minimize
technology-related crises
- use
staff time efficiently
- protect
yourself from staff turnover
- avoid
wasting money on equipment that makes your life miserable
- think
through your priorities in order to use technology in a way
that directly furthers your mission
- bring
everyone to the same page and use technology in a consistent,
integrated way across the whole organization
- budget
for technology
- make
cost-effective purchases
- advocate
for technology financing
The
Process
There is an 8-step process for technology planning:
1.
establish leadership and support
2. assess your existing resources
3. define your needs
4. explore possible solutions
5. write the plan
6. finance the plan
7. implement the plan
8. update the plan
The
Team - Establish Leadership and Support
A technology team should be made up of a wide range of staff members.
For instance, your team might be composed of
-
board member
- chief executive officer
- project manager
- administrative assistant
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-
accountant
- service or product manager
- IT manager
- consultant
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Executive
Performance
consultants may be engaged for the whole process or a selected
stage of it. The team should meet regularly to review progress
on the planning. Distribute responsibilities and set clear expectations
so that each person is involved in the process.
The
Inventory - Assess Your Existing Resources
The first step in developing a plan is to assess where you are.
Sound philosophical? The key is to spend some time asking yourself
what is working, and what needs improvement. What technology do
you have in place in your organization? What technology skills
does your staff have? Who does your organization rely on for technology
support?
Hardware
and Software
- A
computer/hardware inventory worksheet can give you a sense of
the overall quality, speed and memory of servers and workstations,
monitors (size, resolution), printers, scanners, digital cameras,
etc. In the hardware inventory worksheet, you will want to write
down the following items for each computer:
-
User
- Brand
- Monitor type
- Processor type
- RAM
- Hard disk capacity
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-
Operating system
- Modem or network card (if any)
- CD or DVD drive
- Video/graphic card
- Any additional equipment attached to the computer |
- A
software inventory worksheet can give you an overview of the
software or programming resources and how they are distributed
on different computers.
In the software inventory worksheet, you will want to mark down
- major software packages that you use
- application type
- version numbers
Systems
and Skills
There's more to an assessment than listing your hardware and software!
The most important part of assessment is to ask yourself some
questions about how well your systems and personnel are currently
working. There are other issues related to systems and skills
that must be inventoried:
-
Technology Organization
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Internet Connectivity
- Website
- Skill Standards & Training
- Technology Support Staff
Defining
Your Needs
The trick to defining your needs
is to describe what you want to do with technology, not what you
think you need to buy. Learning to think this way is a little like
learning a different language. What tasks do you want staff to be
able to do with their computers? What new capability will make a
critical difference to productivity? How could an effective use
of technology help your agency better serve its mission? It helps
if the technology team gathers input from staff about their needs.
You can get staff input through a survey, or through individual
interviews.
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For example when upgrading your network DON'T SAY,
"We need a Windows XP network with 10 Pentium
IVs."
Why
not? Windows XP may or may not be cost effective
or feasible (maybe Linux is a more viable alternative).
More importantly, if you don't know why you are getting
it, there is no way to know if it will accomplish
what you need it to.
Instead,
SAY,
"We
need all staff to be able to connect to the Internet
at once so they can use email, share organizational
intelligence, and learn online more efficiently. We
need staff to be able to run state-of-the-art applications
on machines that will not crash."
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Explore Solutions
This
phase of technology planning requires the most technical
knowledge. If you have not already been working with a
consultant, you may want to hire one at this point.
-
decide
on concrete solutions that fit within your budget
-
make
sure that all the solutions you pick are compatible
-
go
back to your original vision of how technology can
help you accomplish your business objectives
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Write
the Plan
There are several key elements that should always be present in
an effective Technology Plan:
- Organizational
Profile - Who are you and what do you do?
- Technology
Vision - What do you hope to accomplish using technology?
- Projects
- The detailed guts of the plan. What "itemized" projects
will you undertake to improve your organization's use of technology?
- Description:
A brief description of what it is you plan to do.
- Benefits:
What will this project enable your organization to do that
you could not do before? It helps to describe the benefits
up front, so that it is clear how much of a priority the project
is.
- Tasks:
What tasks will it take to complete this project? Listing
the tasks will be extremely useful in establishing a timeline
and beginning the implementation.
- Cost:
At the end of your description
of a project, list the costs associated with each step.
- Budget
- What are the "total aggregated" costs associated
with those projects?
- Timeline
- What are the "integrated" phases of work and the
deadlines for implementation of your plan?
Finance
the Plan
Now that the Technology Plan has been phased and priced, proceed
to allocate existing budget and or obtain additional financing
to implement the project. Are there strategic relationships, alliances
or partnerships that would facilitate this phase of the technology
planning process?
Implement
the Plan
The sad truth is that many technology plans sit on a shelf and
are never carried out. Implementation is not automatic. It requires
conscious planning in its own right. Even if you have been working
with a consultant all along to do your technology plan, managing
the implementation is your organization's task. Only you can think
through who can carry out different aspects of the plan and when
they will do it. The following elements are key to a successful
implementation:
-
Designate a point person. One person should be in charge of
overseeing the process. This is not necessarily a technical
role, but a management role. This person may also communicate
with and oversee consultants who implement parts of the plan.
They will report back periodically to the technology team and
to management.
- Break
projects into tasks. Make sure the individual steps are clear
so you can monitor progress.
- Assign
responsibilities. Make clear which staff member will carry out
which task.
- Establish
a timeline. Set milestones and target dates for different phases
of your plan.
- Evaluate
your success. Evaluation should be built into any planning process,
and technology planning is no exception. Decide beforehand what
indicators of success you will look for. Build evaluation checkpoints
into your timeline.
Update
the Plan
A technology plan should be a living, breathing document. As new
needs and priorities come up, modify the plan accordingly! If
one technology project does not work you as you hoped, you are
free to go back to the plan to rethink and rewrite.
Executive
Performance
is ready to partner with your enterprise to develop a 21st century
Technology Plan.
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